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Books, Music, and
Films of Interest
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Books
Writing
as Resistance: The Journal of Prisoners on Prisons.
OK, so I haven't read it all yet, but the very concept of an
academic journal devoted exclusively to the voices of
incarcerated offenders is worth mention, along with the range
of topics and voices included. www.cspi.org.
Evasion
by ? One of the funniest and most politically, socially, and
environmentally relevant books to appear in some time.
And it's a work of fiction, or is it? Evasion tells
the story of a young man (who refuses to reveal his identity
for reasons noted in the book) who makes a pledge with himself
not to spend money for an entire year to "prove"
to that there are alternatives to our environmentally
unfriendly practices of consumption and waste. How,
then, does he pay for food, rent, transportation, the bare
necessities? You have to read to find out. Available at www.crimethinc.com.
What
is Communist Anarchism? by Alexander Berkman.
One of the most concise and easy to read statements of the
anarchist philosophy. Written in the Socratic,
question/answer format. The chapter on
"Socialism" is a must for those confused about
differences between between Anarchism and
Marxism/Socialism. Will Socialism really bring about the
withering away of the State? As Berkman asks: "If
capitalism is to be abolished by revolution, what do the
Socialists seek office for?" He continues by noting
that Socialists cannot be true to the dictum of the withering
away of the State once they identify the State as the tool
necessary to bring about change. This Berkman refers to
as the "great contradiction of Marxian Socialism"
because, "nothing is truer than that the means you use to
attain your object soon themselves become your
object."
Pacifism
as Pathology by Ward Churchill. Is non-violence
really the most effective and morally sound means of bringing
about justice? Is violence ever appropriate? An
important book that simply cannot be ignored, Churchill argues
convincingly that "the question is not whether to use
violence in the global class struggle to end the rule of
international imperialism, but only when to use
it."
Chronicles
of Dissent by Noam Chomsky. A good introduction
to his ideas, though probably not the best source.
Still, his essays on the use of language in politics are
priceless. "...the switch in the name of the
Pentagon from the War Department to the Defense Department in
1947. As soon as that happened, any thoughtful person
should have understood that the United States would no longer
be engaged in defense."
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Music
Bill Laswell: Axiom-Reconstructions and Vexations.
It was only a matter of time before Bill Laswell would
hook up with the Detroit techno scene. His newest Axiom
project finds Laswell in the passenger seat as dj/composer/producer
Carl Craig has a crack at remixing two tracks from the Laswell/Wobble
Radio Axiom project released in 2002. The tracks have
Craig's signature to be sure, but Laswell never gets lost in
the mix. Also noteworthy are additional remixes of both
the Laswell/Wobble release as well as the Tabla Beat Science
project "Tala Matrix," with artists from the Six Degrees
recording label lending a hand. This is a Laswell
project not to be missed, and if you were slow to appreciate
the genius of Tabla Beat Science until now (as I was), this
will change your perspective.
Third Eye Foundation: Ghosts/In Version.
Slow, haunting drones filtered through a wall of distortion
gradually give way to cold, metallic percussion which
eventually gives way to some incredibly innovative, yet
simplistic drum and bass. Like the techno animal album
with the same name, only sped-up. In Version,
interestingly, takes an opposite approach. The opening
tracks pummel the listener with metallic drum and bass.
By track 3, it is pure heaven as a wall of distorted drones
gives way to an incredible bass line over barely audible vocal
(samples?). A great introduction to experimental
electronic music.
Casino
Versus Japan: Whole Numbers Play the Basics. Some of
the most beautiful and hypnotic electronic music out
now. At once uplifting and melancholy, it features
layers and textures that combine organic drums with electronic
tweaks. Reminiscent of Boards of Canada, you will
want to chill out to this one. Highly recommended!
Spacemen
3. OK, this isn't a new band, and I've been
listening to 'em for years. But they are one of my
favorites, and I've recently (re)discovered some of their
work. Unfortunately for the viewer of this website,
those that I've (re)discovered are long out of print.
Therefore, I recommend starting with Playing with Fire, which
is easier to find and features many Spacemen 3 greats.
Other places to start: Perfect Prescription, which was my
personal introduction to the band. Once you're hooked,
check out the side projects/new incarnations: Spiritualized,
Sonic Boom, Spectrum, and get lost in the brilliance that was
Spacemen 3.
Radboud
Mens - 'Sines.' If someone gets a hold of another Radboud release, please e-mail me. I've found this one
in a used bin in the experimental section of the local indy
record store. With a track called
"metal/dub/plate," I had to bite. I'm glad I
did. Very minimal electronic beats over a barely audible
hum. By the end of the e.p., the sound grows on you, and
you may as well be listening to a full orchestra.
Mr.
Lif: Emergency Rations (def jux 2002) and Public Enemy: Revolverlution (Koch 2002) are two of the hardest hitting
critiques of the so-called Patriot Act. When the
mainstream music industry shies away from serious social
statements and instead promotes white hip-hop artists who
simply want to air personal grievances, Public Enemy once
again reveal themselves as the true hard rhymers providing
commentary to which many can relate. See songs like "son
of a Bush" and "What good is a bomb." Mr.
Lif's "home of the brave" provides similar
hard-hitting commentary.
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Film
The
Hours. A terrific film, but terribly
depressing. I'm not quite sure why I enjoyed it.
Probably because it was real-to-life. Is life
manageable? Do we want to live, or are we merely living
for others, waiting for the hours to pass until it all
ends?
Solaris
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this film is simply a
masterpiece. A cerebral experience not to be
missed. What is reality? How can we ever
know? Do we even exist? Do we remember things as they
happened, or simply as we want to remember them? Funny,
but that's a line from Los Highway!
Secretary.
Ties with Solaris for my favorite of 2002. Hysterical
and pathetic, a brilliant commentary on the political economy
of the workplace, or is it the political economy of sex?
Lost
Highway Directed by David Lynch, this film will get
under your skin. See for yourself.
Clockwork
Orange Directed by Stanley Kubrick. What does it
mean to be a criminal? Is crime a choice? Is
morality? Can the punishment be worse than the crime,
even if it results in a greater good. Necessary viewing
for all criminal justice and political science students. |
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Important
Announcements |
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Listen
to my radio program:
Justice,
or Just Us?
Thursdays:
8-9AM
KUCI
88.9FM
www.kuci.org
October 30
End the Occupation
of Iraq
Guest:
Sounds from the
October 25
Peace Rally
in San Francisco.
 JUSTICE,
OR JUST US?
Now
available as
MP3audio
files
and/or
written
transcripts!
Visit
"past show topics" for show descriptions and MP3 selections.
More mp3 files
coming soon!
******************
AFGHANISTAN
IRAQ
IRAN
SYRIA
N. KOREA
THE WARS ARE NOT OVER.
THEY'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN!
Anti-war protest: Every Friday evening from
5-7pm at the corner of Anton & Bristol (across the street
from S. Coast Plaza). Stop the American war machine!
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CSUF CAMPUS
GREENS
Meetings:
Thursdays 3pm
Stearns, TSU.
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